Proclamation: Unlimited National Emergency

My fellow Americans, my friends. How often I have heard those words stated by someone who was as much like me as a mayfly. My fellows are hard working family types with children. I do not have time for the monetarily wealthy, social elite, or those so wrapped up in pop culture social issues that their own personally insecure petty coats are showing. We as citizens of the greatest nation on earth have arrived at a place in our history where a line in the sand is clearly drawn.

It seems that only in the wake of terrible tragedies that We The People can put aside all of the I-I, Me-me and start praying. Only when the most horrific and unimaginable happens can we mention God’s name without hissing and saying that other word after ward as if it is his last name. The President even said it, 6 times in his address, but don’t everyone jump on the bandwagon at once. You can be who you are and still have room for God in your life.

While on the subject of the terrible tragedy that occurred this past Friday in Newtown, Connecticut, let me go on record as having said that my heart breaks for those parents and families who now have to sort all this out and try to find some closure. Then to hear that this evil adult child committed the ultimate act of cowardice to save himself from facing up to what he’d done just adds further insult to injury.

I made several posting to various news outlets over the weekend asking the bigger stations and the major networks why they would make such a production of extended coverage. I will not mention the name of the criminal who committed such a heinous and terrible act of violence. Why they would publicize every shred of information about the criminal and wait so long to do so little for the victims. I believe that the public has the right to know what happened, but not every intimate detail. The criminal’s name and face shouldn’t be front page or top story. It is nothing short of stupid to celebrate the spectacle of unconscionable acts. Don’t turn this idiot into the next idiot’s martyr.

Our elected leadership has failed us in almost every way. They’ve passed the buck, placed the blame, and tried to pass legislation doing away with a debt ceiling and granting themselves a book full of blank checks. They’ve sidestepped work and pointed fingers and assigned a lot of derogative names to anyone who disagrees with what they’re doing to our country. In the wake of tragedy, it will continue, as there is a fresh scandal to draw eyes off the ball.

We The People must take these people to task. We must recognize that just because we disagree with each other, they can’t tell us that it’s a race issue, or an age issue, or an intolerance issue. All of this social consciousness malarkey is nothing more than an expression of personal insecurity. If you suffer from it, do something about it and don’t spread the disease. These are tough times and we need the people around us to look out for us and not alienate ourselves from them.

We the People and the news media need to mind our collective business and stop trying to legislate morality by expanding government powers and controls. These career politicians have finally dialed in their marketing mix and have figured out that if you promise free stuff to people, you can effectively buy their votes, legally. They’re as bad as drug pushers, don’t take nothin’ off of them; you don’t know where it’s been.

Instead of stirring hate and unrest, check on your neighbor. Pray for your coworkers and the students and teachers at your children’s schools. Do something kind for someone you don’t know. Love your children. Remember they are an empty vessel that you must fill and they will be exactly what you make them. If they have problems, get them help. Discipline never hurt a child. Neglect and abuse do.

You people have to take care of one another. Your government is too busy and too concerned with itself to help you. Cook at home. Sit your family down at the table. Share your day’s experiences. Serve one meal and don’t run a restaurant. Make your children read for an hour a day and restrict video game and TV time.

Mothers hold your children accountable and teach your daughters to be ladies that know the word NO. Fathers, be men. Treat your women like the priceless people that they are. Avoid opportunities to belittle, be an encourager. Read the Bible to your families, a chapter a night. Discuss it. Both of you see to the children’s needs. Be a team, not opponents.

All of us need to hold our leaders to a higher standard. Treat everyone as an equal, and particularly those who can do nothing for you. Character comes from doing what’s right, not what’s nice. Build your family and not your kingdom. Remember to be shrewd in business matters. Don’t cheat others to get ahead. Instead of allowing these tragedies to break us and hold captive our national will. Rise to the occasion and become a united people again.

Jim Layne is husband, father and veteran. He firmly believes in God and family first, Duty, Honor, Courage and a lot of other old fahioned ideals. A self confessed news junky, he distills the rhetoric down to its essential salts and serves it up in plain spoken terms.

About the author

Tom Knighton is the publisher of The Albany Journal. In November, 2011, he became the first blogger to take over a newspaper anywhere in the world. In August of 2012, he made the difficult decision to take the Journal out of print circulation and become an online news agency, a first for the Albany area.